Typewriting machine



Feb; 13, 1945. i SAGNER 2,369,315

TYPEWRi TING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORQWALTE/Q 7f 5146NE/t ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1945. w r, SAGNYER r 2,369,315

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb.13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'rrrawarrmc MACHINE Walter T.Sagner, West Hartford, Comm, assignor to Underwood Elliott FisherCompany, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 4,1942, Serial No. 445,732

sciaims. (01.197-17) inking ribbon which is vibrated to the typing pointthrough a ribbon-vibrating mechanism, incidental to'each typingoperation. So that different portions or fields of the ribbon may beselectively presented at the printing point, the ribbun-vibratingmechanism is settable for opera.- tions or vibrations of difierentextents by a setting mechanism therefor. When a ribbon with differentcolor-fields is used, this setting mechanism servesto select the desiredcolor-field for typing and, for this reason, is usually known as theribbon bichrome-s'etting mechanism.

The operation of the ribbon-vibrating mechanism to different extentsimposes difierent loads on the typing mechanism, and it has been foundthat such differences in the loads have a material effect on the typingforce in power-operated machines wherein the typing mechanism isdisassociated from the power-operating mechanism appreciably before anoperated type strikes. More specifically, with equal operating impulsesgiven to the typing mechanism, the typing impressions will beappreciably lighter if the ribbon is vibrated a greater distance. It is,therefore, paramount that for uniformity in typing, the typing mechanismreceive diiferently powered impulses for different extent vibrations ofthe ribbon-vibrating mechanism.

To this end, it, is an object of the invention to provide for efficientand reliable printing force regulation under control of saidribbon-vibratingsetting mechanism in a manner that the typing mechanismprints with substantially uniform strength regardless of the extent ofvibration regulations effected by the two difierent sources alteringwith respect to each other.

In association with the last-mentioned object, it is a further object toprovide reliably efiective means which provide that in each regulatedposition of the said main imprint control the imprint will b cau ed tobe substantially the same regardless of the varying extent to which theribbon may be caused to vibrate under control of thevibration-determining-setting mechanism.

For stencil cutting, it is required that the ribable stencils havecardboard portion-s which, us-

ually constitute a. frame whereupon certain desirable information may belegibly typed through the medium of the typewriter ribbon. In the courseof typing such a stencil, it is thus required to set theribbon-vibrating or positioning mech anism so that typing will beefiected with, or independently of, the ribbon. The force required fortyping upon the said stencil frame is considerably more than the forcewhich is desired to impress or cut the stencil-sheet proper, it beingwell-known that, for neat and efficient reproducing efiect, the stencilmust be cut with just the proper typing force.

With the above in view, it is a further object of the invention toprovide simple and reliably effective means whereby the typing force isadjustable under the control of a mechanism by means of which typing maybe caused to occur either through, or independently of, the typewriterribbon.

Still another object of the invention is to provide for efficientregulation of the typing force under the control of theribbon-vibration-setting mechanism in a manner so that the typing forceis properly varied for stencil writing in accordance with whether ornot, or to what extent, the ribbon is vibrated.

Furthermore, an object of the invention is to provide for typing forcevibrations under the combined control of a main imprint controllingmechanism and a ribbon-vibration regulating mechanism of the characterpointed out in the last-mentioned object, the two mechanisms beingindividually settable and the printing-force adjustments obtainable byeach altering with respect to each other.

With these and other objects in view, the invention includes certainnovel features of construcforth in the appended claims and a preferredform or embodiment of "which is hereinafter described with reference tothe drawings which accompany and form part of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front perspective illustrating certain portions of a powertyping mechanism and devices for regulating the imprint obtainable bysuch typing mechanism;

-Figure 2 is a large front elevation of a camming mechanism shown inFigure -1;

Figure 3 is a right-hand fractionalside elevationof theimprint-regulating mechanism as it is conditioned when theribbon-vibrating mechanism is set for maximum vibration;

Figure 4 shows the power typing mechanism of Figure 1 in sectional sideelevation, there being also shown certain of the parts of theimprintregulating devices;

Figure 5 illustrates an alternate form of an interponent membercomprising part of the'imprint-regulating devices.

The typing mechanism shown in the drawings corresponds to the one of thepatent to Yaeger No. 2,254,764, dated September 2, 1941, and it willsuffice to describe it only briefly. Type bars l0, pivoted in an arcuatearray upon a pivot wire I I in a segment l9, are movable against aplaten H from a type rest l3 upon which they are normally nested. Aseries of upstanding levers I4 pivoted on a rod |5 are'individuallyconnected at their upper ends with the type bars ID by draw links l6.Behind each lever l4, for operating it in rolling engagement therewith,is a pendent arm I] which has articulated thereto, in a rearwardlyextending relation,an actuator I8, each actuator having a snatch pawl 2|suitable for engagement with a common drive member 22 which is rotatedat constant speed by an electric motor, not shown, in the directionindicated by an arrow in Figure 4. A cross bar 23 is provided withvertical slots wherein the said arms H are guided. The drive member 22is in the form of a toothed snatch roll, and the actuators I8, togetherwith the snatch pawls 2|, are normally held clear of the snatch roll bysprings 24 which pull the actuators upwardly and rearwardly against atransverse angle bar 25, the rearward limit being defined by the pendentarm |1 engaging the bar 23 at 26, see Figure 4. The said actuators l8are selectively associable with said snatch roll 22 for operationthereby under control of type keys 21, each of which key is providedupon a key lever 28, and each of which key lever has a hook-ended drawlink 3| normally overlyin a lug 32 on one of the actuators. Springs 33restore the key levers 28 to their normal positions in which their frontends abut against the upper ends of slots provided in a comb plate 34.The type bars are biased to return to their normal positions by springs29 attached to the levers l4 below their I pivot rod l5. When, inresponse to a key depression, the snatch pawl 2| has been brought intoengagement with the snatch roll 22, the latter will first turn thesnatch pawl limitedly on the actuator and will then impart a typingimpulse to the latter and, consequently, the said pendent arm ll, theresult being that the type bar is given an impetus toward the platen.The duration of engagement of the snatch pawl with the snatch roll and,consequently, the effective strength of the operating impulse impartedto the typing mechanism by the actuator is determined by the position ofan abutment bar 35 which has adtion and combination of elements whichare set iustable abutment screws 36, with which cam edges 3! of theactuators engage. Upon engagement of any of the said cam portions withthe abutment screws, the rear end of the associated actuator is cammedupwardly so that the snatch pawl 2| clears the snatch roll 22. Thisoccurs some time before thetype strikes against the platen. However,thelever H, the link I6, and the type bar l8 continue to move bymomentum; while, on the other hand, the rolling contact between thelever l4 and the arms I! allows the return of the actuator l8 under thepower of its return spring 24. For obtaining a very light imprint, theabutment bar 35 is adjusted so that the snatch pawl 2| becomesdisengaged after only a small part-actuation of the type bar l8;whereas, for obtaining a heavy imprint, the abutment bar 35 is adjustedso that the snatch pawl becomes disengaged when the type bar has nearlyreached the platen.

Referring now, more particularly, to Figure 1, it will be seen that theabutment bar 35 is supported on two widely spaced bell cranks 38, bothof which are pivoted for movement in a vertical plane on the same rod 5on which the typeaction levers M are pivoted. A cross member 4|, whereinthe pivot rod I5 is imbedded, has guide slots 42 for the type-actionlevers M, as well as for the bell crank levers 38. It will be seen thatthe abutment bar 35 forms with the bell cranks 38 a single bailstructure and that this structure is pivotally swingable on the rod 5.The cross member 4|, as also the cross bar 23, comprises part of ageneral machine frame which also includes two opposite side walls 43.Pivoted in these side walls and extending intermediate thereof, directlybehind the keyboard, is a rotatable shaft 44 whereon there are fixed twowidely spaced spiral-shaped cams 45. Each of the bell cranks 38 has apin 46 which extends laterally underneath one of the cams 45, therebeing a vertically freely swingable interponent finger of these fingerswill be set forth later.

41- between each cam and pin. The purpose Under the urge of springs 48attached to the bell cranks 38, the abutment 35 always occupies aposition in which the bell crank pins 46 press the interponent fingersupwardly against'said cams 45. A dial wheel 5|, constituting a mainimprint control, is fixedly carried by the right end of the cam shaft 44and, when turned, results in an upward or downward adjustment of theabutment bar 35. The dial wheel 5| protrudes through a rectangularopening 52 provided in a front panel 53 of the machine and bears indicia54 which is indicative of the adjustment effected to the abutment bar.'When the high portions of the earns 45 are opposite the pins 46, theimpressions will be the weakest, aand when the low portions of the camsare opposite the pins, the impressions will be the strongest. Stop pins55, oppositely on the right side wall of the frame and the dial wheel,restrict the turning of the cam shaft 44 between the strongest andweakest imprint position.

The printing point, against which the type bars l8 strike, is indicatedin Figures 1 and 4 by the reference numeral 56. Normally posed belowthis printing point, slightly below the front of the platen, is a ribbonvibrator or holder 51 holding a typewriter ribbon 58 removed from theprinting point. The ribbon 58, which, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, mayhave a plurality of color-fields 6|, is guided through openings 62 inthe vibrator and extends oppositely to spaced ribbon spools in front ofthe platen, not shown. The vibrator 51 may be integral with ahorizontally disposed arm 63 forming part of a bell crank 64 pivoted at65 to the framework of the machine. Concomitant with each operation ofone of the type-action levers I4, the bell crank 64 is operated in amanner presently to be described. Overlyingshort rearward arms 68 of thelevers I4 is a universal bar 61 common to all the type actions. Thisuniversalbar has at each end rigid therewith a rearwardly extending arm88 about the rear ends of which the universal bar pivots, the right armhaving a shaft ii fulcrumed and extending through the side wall 58. Tothe outer end of the shaft H is fixed a bell crank 13 having a linkconnection 14 with an arm 18 pivoted to the outer side of the right sidewall 48 of the machine. The link 14 and the arm of the bell crank 13connected thereto constitute a toggle which normally is in a partlyfolded condition. Incidental to each operation of the universal bar 81,the toggle becomes straightened and, in doing so, swings the arm 15downwardly so that the latter imparts a downward movement of a definiteextent to a pitman 18 which is articulated to its rear end. To preventoverthrow of the universal bar, the link 14 may have a tongue 11 capableof engagement with a pin 19 on the bell crank 18. Restoration of theuniversal bar is effected by a spring 18 connected to the pitman 10, seeFigure 1. At the upper end, depending on the position of a crank 80, thepitman 16 may be in coupled engagement with either one of two pins 8| ona horizontally disposed arm of a bell crank lever 82, or the pitman maybe entirely clear of these pins. As maybe noted from Figure l, the pins8| are differently spaced from a pivot 83 of the bell crank 82, and thepitman, therefore, is capable of imparting different angular movement tothe bell crank '82, depending onto which of the pins 8| the pitman iscoupled. A link B l connects the bell crank 82 operatively with the bellcrank 64. and when the pitman 18 is coupled with the particular pin Mwhich is further from the pivot 83, the actuation of the universal barcauses an operation of said vibrator or holder 51 to an ex-- tentpresenting the upper ribbon field 8i, which may be black to the printingpoint 56. Conversely, when the pitman 16 is coupled to the pin M whichis nearer to the pivot 83, the throw iven to the vibrator 51 will besuch that the lower ribbon field GI, which may be red, will be presentedat the printing point. The said crank 80 extends into a vertical guideslot 86 provided in the upper end of the pitman 16 and is settable tothe right or left to couple the pitman selectively to the pins BI. In acentral or stencil position of the crank, the pitman clears both thepins 8|, and, consequently, operation thereof will not cause vibrationof the ribbon. The crank 80 comprises part of a crank shaft 81 whichextends fore and aft in the machine and which, at opposite ends, nearthe crank 80, and at the front, respectively is turnable in brackets 88and 9|, both projecting laterally from the adjacent side wall 43.Parallel to the crank shaft 81, at the inner side of the adjacent sidewall 43, is another shaft 82 carrying fixedly near its front end a gear93 which is in mesh with another gear 84, the lattergear being securedupon imprint-weakening adjacent side wall 43. Forwardly of the gear 93,the shaft 92 protrudes through a hole in the front panel 53 and isequipped with a control or setting knob 96. A pawl 91, cooperating witha notched disc 98 on the shaft 92 detents the latter in three differentpositions which correspond to the aforementioned three differentpositions of the crank 80, the pawl 81 being pivoted on a bracket I02projecting inwardly from the adjacent side wall 43 and being underconstant tension of a spring IOI to enter the notches of the disc 98. Sothat the rotation of the shaft 92, and, therefore, also the shaft 81,may be positively limited, the gear 93 has two stop teeth I03which areadapted for engagement with a flat face I04 on the other gear 94. Fromthe fore going, it will be seen that turning of the knob 86 to theproper position predetermines whether or not, and to what extent, theribbon shall be vibrated during typing.

It has previously been stated that the ribbonvibrating mechanism imposesa heavier load on the typing mechanism when the extent of ribbonvibration is greater, the consequence being an influence on the typingmechanism. According to the invention, the

power impulse receivable by the typing mechanism is predeterminableunder the control of said ribbon-vibration-setting mechanism and in amanner so that the typeswill print withluniform force regardless of theextent to which the ribbon may be vibrated. In the embodiment of theinvention shown, this is accomplished through said aforementionedinterponent fingers 41, both of which, for this purpose, are shiftablefore and, aft, each to present either one of two finger portions I05 andI06 actively between the pins 46 and the impression-regulating cams 45.When the knob 96 is set for presentation of the upper ribbon-field iiito the printing point, the finger portions I05 are between the cam 45and the pins 46, see Figure 1. On the other hand, if the knob 96 is setfor vibration of the ribbon for use of the lower field, the thinnestportion I08 of the finger 41 is interposed, see Figure 3.

The mechanism for shifting the fingers comprises a bail generallydesignated by the numeral I01 and extending transversely of the machine,

7 the bail comprising widely spaced arms I08 whereon the said fingers 41are pivoted for vertical swinging movement in substantially the same areas the underlying pins 46. The bail I01 comprises also a shaft IIIextending intermediate and pivoted in the opposite side walls 4'8 of themachine, the arms I08 being fixed thereto. machine is part of a bellcrank which also includes a rearwardly extending arm I I2, the latter ofwhich has a vertical link connection H0 with a member H3 verticallyrockably supported on an ear I I4 bent outwardly from the adjacent wall43. For operating the rockable member H3, the shaft 92 has a cam H5which, on opposite sides, is engaged .by pins I I 6 carried on themember. The cam H5 gives the member [I3 2. different position in each ofthe three detented positions to which the control may be set, and,consequently. the fingers 41 will occupy correspondin ly differentpositions. When in their intermediate positions, each finger has aportion H1 inter osed between its associated cam 45 and n-in 4 and,according to the form of the invention illu trated in Fi ures 1, 3, and4, these fingerportions I I1 are thicker than the aforementionedportions I05 and I08.

The arm I08 at the right-hand side of the I From the above, it isevident that with the impression control cams 05 positioned as indicatedin Figure 3, and with the intermediate cam portions I I1 in contact withthe pins 46, the abutment bar 35 will be in the dot-and-dash positiondesignated by the letter S in the said figure, S being indicative of thesetting of the ribbonvibration-setting mechanism for stencil typing. Theabutment bar assumes the slightly lower position designated by theletter B, when the vibration-controlling mechanism is set for vibratingthe upper, or black, ribbon-field to the printing point, whereas thelowest position R is obtained when the vibration-controlling mechanismis set for typing through the lower, or red, ribbon field, i. e., whenthe finger is positioned as shown in Figure 3. The position of the bar,as hereinbefore stated, determines the extent of power operation of thetyping mechanism; and

with the cam 45 set as at Figure 3, the power operation of the type barI may be to any one of the designated positions S, B, or R, see Figure3, depending on respectively corresponding settings of the knob 06. Theinterponent fingers ll are beveled intermediate the said portions I05,I06, Ill, so that they are easily slidable to their different positionsover the pins 46. The differences in the thicknesses of the fingerportions are, of course, such that the de-- sired power impulse will beimparted to the typing mechanism in each set position of the knob" 96.Also to be noted is that the interponent fingers are capable ofeffecting a change in the position of the abutment bar in any angularposition of the cam shaft M, that is, in any position of the mainimprint control or dial wheel SI; and, conversely, the dial wheel Si isoperative to effect a change in the position of the abutment barrega'rdless of the positions of the interponent fingers 41. Theadjustments of the abutment bar 35 effected by the dial wheel and theknob 90 might be regarded as additive or supplemental in nature. Forbetter guidance, the fingers 41 have upward extensions I2I swingablyconfined between the arms I08 and lips I22 offset therefrom.

The fingers 41 are pivotally secured to the arms I08 by screws; and ifthe work requires, other fingers with relatively differentlyproportioned thickness portions I05, I06, and II! may be substituted.Such a substitution may be required I or desirable in view of thedifiering characteristics of stencils that are commercially available,or it may be desirable due to other conditions, such as the desire for alesser or harder impressed stencil. For writing some stencils. seeFigure 5. the portions III of the fin ers may be identical in thicknesswith the portions I05, while for ther work the portions I05 and I06 maybe relativelv different. In other words, the fingers may be shaped inaccordance with the particular reouirements of different work.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typewriting machine having power means. type actions normallydisassociated from sa d power means, means to associate said typeactions selectively with said power means in a manner to cause theselected type action to receive an operating impulse from the powermeans, and means whereby to vary the operating impulse receivable bysaid typing means, comprising, a pivotally adjustable member, manuallysettable cam means, means rendering said member pivotally adjustable bysaid cam means, including actions selectively with said power means in amanner to cause a desired type action to receive an operating impulsefrom the power means, and means whereby to vary the operating impulsereceivable by said typing means, comprising, an elongate memberadjustable transversely of its length, adjustably settable meansextending substantially parallelly to said elongate member, expansibleand contractible means connecting said elongate member at widely spacedpoints with said settable means for adjustment thereby independently ofadjusting said settable means, and means to expand or contract saidconnecting means.

3. The combination with typing means and power means to operate saidtyping means; of means for normally holding a typewriter ribbon removedfrom a printing point, adapted to be operated to difierent extents bysaid typingmeans, to present thereby difierent portions of the ribbon tothe printing point, and means difierently settable to predeterminewhether or not, and to what extent, said ribbon-holding means isoperable by said typing means, and additionally to predetermine thetyping force that is impartable to said typing means in each difierentsetting of said settable means.

4. In a typewriting machine having constantspeed power-drive means,typing means normally disassociated from said power-drive means, meansto associate said typing means operatively with said power-drive means,in a manner to cause the latter to impart an operating impulse to saidtyping means, adjustable means whereby to vary said operating impulse,ribbon-vibrator means, normally holding a typewriter ribbon removed froma printing point, means adapted to operate said vibrator meansincidental to each operation of said typing means, and means differentlysettable to predetermine whether or not said operating means shalloperat said vibrator means, and, additionally, to adjust said adjustablemeans in a manner so that the operating impulse impartable to saidtyping means is different when said settable means is set fornon-operation of said vibrator means than when it is set for operationthereof.

5. In a typewriting machine having powerdrive means, typing meansoperable to effect imprints at a printing point, normally disassociatedfrom said typing means, means to associate said typing means operativelywith saidpower means, in a manner to cause the latter to impart anoperating impulse to said typing means, adjustable means whereby to varythe operating impulse, means normally holding a typewriter ribbonremoved from said printing point, means adapted to operate said vibratormeans incidental to each operation of said typing means, meansdifferently settable to predetermine whether or not, and to what extent,said operating means shall operate said vibrating means, a settableimprint control, and means so operatively associating able aggregativelyby said imprint control and said settable means, and in such a mannerthat in every setting of said imprint control the operating impulseimpartable to the typing means will be of minimum strength when saidsetting means is set for nonoperation of said vibrating means.

6. In a power-driven typewriting machine, the combination with a seriesof type actions operable to effect imprints at a printing point; of apower-drive member, an actuator associated with each type action andengageable with said powerdrive member for operation of its associatedtype action, means to selectively engage said actuators with said drivemember, adjustable means in the path of said actuators engageable toefiect their disengagement after partial operation of each type-action,each operated type action completing its operation by momentum, meansadapted to vibrate a typewriter ribbon to said printing point wheneveran actuator is actuated, means yieldinglysettable todiiferent positionsto vary the magnitude of said vibration to present different portions ofthe ribbon to the printing point, an imprint regulating control, meansassociating said control and said settable means with each other and theadjustable means in a manner so that the latter is.adjustable by eithersaid conits operation by momentum, means adapted to vibrate a typewriterribbon to said printing point whenever an actuator is actuated, meansyieldingly settable to different positions to vary the magnitude of saidvibration to present different portions of the ribbon to the printingpoint, a yieldingly adjustable imprint regulating control, meansassociating said control and said settable means with each other and theadjustable means in a manner so that the latter is adjustable by eithersaid control or said settable means and so that the adjustment of theadjustable-means effected by either alters that effected by the other,said associating means being so constructed that the force of theactuators engaging the adjustable means will have no disturbing effecton the position of said settable means and said. control.

8. In a power-driven typewriting machine, the combination with a seriesof type actions operable to eflect imprints at a printing point; of apower-drive member, an actuator associated with each type action andengageable with said power-drive member for operation of its associatedtype action, means to selectively engage trol or said settable means andso that the adeach type action and engageable with said powerdrivemember for operation of its associated type action, means to selectivelyengage said actuators with said drive member, adjustable means in thepath of said actuators engageable to effect their disengagement afterpartial operation of each type action, each operated type actioncompleting said actuators with said drive member, adjustable means inthe path of said actuators engageable to efiect their disengagementafter partial operation of each type action, each operated type actioncompleting its operation by momentum, means adapted to vibrate atypewriter ribbon to said printing point whenever an actuator isoperated, means yieldingly settable to effectively or inefiectivelycondition said vibrating means, an imprint regulating control, meansassociatin said control and said settable means with each other and saidadjustable means in a manner so that the latter is adjustable by eithersaid control or said settable means and so that the adjustment of theadjustable means eflfected by either alters that efiected by the other,said associating means being so constructed that the force of theactuators engaging the adjustable means will not disturb the setting ofsaid settable means.

WALTER T. SAGNER.

